ES2372817T3 - OPTIONAL FIBER INTERCONNECTION CABINET. - Google Patents

Abstract

An optical fiber termination module (430, 530, 630, 730) comprising: a mounting element (430c, 530c, 630c, 730c) adapted to be mounted in an interconnection cabinet (400, 500) for optical fibers; a termination panel (430a, 530a, 630a, 730a) pivotally mounted on the mounting element (430c, 530c, 630c, 730c) to allow access to a rear side of the termination panel (430a, 530a, 630a, 730a) covered by the mounting element (430c, 530c, 630c, 730c); a splice chamber (430b, 530b, 630b, 730b) mounted on the mounting element (430c, 530c, 630c, 730c) in the vicinity of a rear side of the termination panel (430a, 530a, 630a, 730a), being the splice chamber (430b, 530b, 630b, 730b) configured to receive at least one splice module (615) and a plurality of optical fiber connection elements (620, 720) mounted on the termination panel (430a, 530a , 630a, 730a); characterized in that the splice chamber (430b, 530b, 630b, 730b) is pivotally mounted on said mounting element (430c, 530c, 630c, 730c) for a separate pivoting movement of the termination panel (430a, 530a , 630a, 730a).

Description

Fiber optic interconnect cabinet

The present invention relates to the management of optical fibers and more particularly, to systems for connecting optical fibers.

When services are provided using a network of optical fibers, it is usually necessary to add and remove subscribers over time. Consequently, a variety of methods are provided for interconnecting subscriber sites 10 with a central office that connects the facilities operated by an optical network provider. In order to improve the use of communication circuits within said central office facilities, interconnection cabinets, such as a centralized separator cabinet (CSC) and / or centralized separator cross connection (CSX), can be provided as part of the infrastructure of the outer plant (OSP) of the fiber optic network. This can allow part of the load of establishment and change of connections, in the network, to move

15 moving away from the central office and facilitating an incremental growth of an installed network as new subscribers are added.

A centralized separator cabinet (CSC) is usually a passive optical enclosure that provides a random termination of the optical separators suitable for use in the OSP environment. A CSC cabinet can be mounted on a pedestal or

20 a pole in the field. A CSC can provide a point of flexibility for terminating the distribution cable as well as closing a matrix array arrangement. This flexibility, in the interconnections of the fiber network, in descending direction, can facilitate the optimization of the use of electronic equipment in the central office avoiding, for example, the need to dedicate circuits, in the central office, to each subscriber location when many of these sites cannot be active.

25 A field service technician can be sent to the CSC to modify the selection of a subscriber site coupled, through a separator, to a particular fiber from the central office by connecting and disconnecting several cables found in the CSC. For example, it is known to provide connectorized patch cord cables associated with each subscriber location served by a CSC in the CSC itself. Then a technician can

30 select the cable for a designated subscriber location, for example, based on a label attached to the connection hose and insert the selected cable into a connection point of a separator.

Some currently available separator interconnect cabinets utilize standardized, partitioned partition modules, industry standard, for internal dividers. These designs do not usually allow access to the part

35 rear connector without breaking a warranty seal and are designed for the central office environment. The seal can be critical for the manufacturer to ensure that no damage to the separator occurs after manufacturing (in the field). This requirement may be in direct opposition to the cleaning requirement, for which access to the front and rear sides of a connection point may be desired.

40 WO 02/103429 discloses an optical fiber termination module comprising termination modules mounted in an interconnect cabinet for optical fibers. Front panels are pivotally mounted to the termination modules to allow access to a rear side of the front panels covered by the termination modules. The splice tray holders are mounted on the termination modules next to the rear side of the front panels and the splice tray holders are configured to

45 receive individual splice trays. A plurality of fiber optic connection elements can be mounted on the front panels.

According to the present invention, an optical fiber termination module is disclosed comprising a mounting element adapted to be mounted in an interconnection cabinet for optical fibers; a termination panel 50 pivotally mounted to the mounting element to allow access to a rear side of the termination panel covered by the mounting element, a splice chamber being mounted to the mounting elements next to a rear side of the termination panel, the splice chamber being configured to receive at least one splice module and a plurality of optical fiber connection elements mounted on the termination panel, characterized in that the splice chamber is pivotally mounted, with the

55 mounting element for a pivotal movement separately from the termination panel.

The connection elements may include a front female connector configured to receive a male matching fiber optic connector and a rear female connector configured to receive a male fiber optic connector to provide an optical coupling between the male matching optical fiber connectors there. received

60 A front side of the splice chamber can be located in front of the termination panel and the at least one splice module can be received on an opposite rear side of the splice chamber. The splice module can be accessible in an open position of the splice chamber. The splice module can be a splice tray.

The termination module may include the splice modules and a plurality of connectorized connecting hoses that extend from the splice modules to the connector elements on a rear side of the termination panel. The splice chamber may also include an area for receiving optical fiber strikes located between the splice modules and the termination panel. A mounting medium can be

5 provide for detachably mounting the termination module in an optical fiber interconnection cabinet.

The termination module may further include a mobile cable fixing element configured to receive and fix a fiber optic cable, the cable fixing element having a first position aligned with a closed position of the splice chamber and a second position aligned with an open position of the splice chamber. The cable fixing element may include a connecting element configured to receive and retain a fiber optic cable reinforcement element. The cable fixing element can be detachable from the termination module to allow displacement between the first position and the second position.

15 The cable fixing element can be pivotally attached to the termination module to allow displacement between the first position and the second position, the cable fixing element can pivot about a neutral axis having an arc length for a cable that is fixed there that is practically the same in the first and second positions to limit the loads on the cable fixed there during the movement of the cable fixing element between the first and second positions.

An interconnection cabinet for optical fibers can be provided in this regard and comprises an enclosure, a separator module mounted in the enclosure and having a plurality of connectorized optical fiber hoses, extending from that location and an optical fiber termination module. as described above, wherein each of the connectorized connecting hoses is associated with a fiber optic feeder cable for

25 engage in a central office; The fiber connection elements are associated with the respective subscriber locations and where the connectorized connection hoses have a sufficient cable length to allow connection to the plurality of connection elements.

The separator module may further include at least one optical input fiber and the separator module is configured to splice the at least one optical input fiber to the plurality of connectorized connecting hoses. A fiber optic cable, from the central office, can be coupled to the at least one optical input fiber and the fiber optic cables, from the subscriber sites they can be coupled to the plurality of connection elements. The separator module can be an optical fiber separator tray and the enclosure can be configured to receive a plurality of optical fiber separating trays and / or a plurality of termination panels.

35 The termination panel can be pivotally mounted in the enclosure, to allow access to a front side and a rear side of the connecting elements from a front side of the enclosure. The termination panel may be a front panel of a termination module and the termination module may further include a splice chamber configured to mount a plurality of adjacent splice modules to a rear side of the termination panel. The splice chamber can be pivotally mounted in the enclosure to provide access to the splice chamber from the front side of the enclosure. The termination module can be detachably mounted in the enclosure, to allow removal of the termination module through the front side of the enclosure. The termination panel and the splice chamber can be pivotally mounted in the enclosure for independent pivoting movement.

The cabinet can also include a winding system mounted in the enclosure and configured to receive and store lengths of leftover cables of the plurality of connectorized connecting hoses. The winding system may include a plurality of coils displaced from each other in the enclosure at a distance corresponding to a distance between a first and last rows of connecting elements in the termination panel. A distance between a first and a last of the coils can be approximately half the distance between the first and last rows of connection elements in the termination panel. The winding system may also include an initial loop coil configured to receive all of the connectorized connection hoses and provide the connectorized connection hoses with a common entry point to the winding system. The coils can be coils of the semi-moon type.

55 The plurality of connectorized connecting hoses can be practically the same length. The enclosure can be a double wall housing configured to provide passive cooling.

One or more jumper cables can be provided for the cross connection of the connection elements. The winding system, mounted in the enclosure, can be configured to receive and store lenghts of leftover cables from the jumper cables. Jumper cables may have a sufficient cable length to allow cross-connection of the plurality of connection elements. The winding system may include a midpoint coil.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an interconnect cabinet for optical fibers according to some embodiments of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a front perspective view of an interconnect cabinet for optical fibers according to some embodiments of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a front perspective view of an interconnect cabinet for optical fibers according to some embodiments of the present invention;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a termination module according to some embodiments of the present invention with the termination panel in an open position;

Figure 5 is a front perspective view of an interconnect cabinet for optical fibers, according to some embodiments of the present invention, illustrating the installation of a termination module in the cabinet;

Figure 6a is a perspective view of a termination module according to some embodiments of the present invention in a closed position;

Figure 6b is a perspective view of the termination module depicted in Figure 6a in an open position showing the splice chamber and its trays;

Figure 6c is a perspective view of the termination module, shown in Figure 6a, in another open position showing the rear side of the termination panel;

Figure 7a is a side view of a termination module according to some embodiments of the present invention;

Figure 7b is a front perspective view of the termination module depicted in Figure 7a;

Figure 8 is a side view of the cable fixing element of the termination module, shown in Figure 7a, according to some embodiments of the present invention;

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a fiber optic splice separator / tray having a plurality of connectorized connecting hoses according to some embodiments of the present invention;

Figure 10 is a perspective view of a fiber optic splice separator / junction box having a plurality of connectorized connecting hoses according to some embodiments of the present invention and

Figure 11 is a flow chart illustrating the method for the management of the external plant of fiber optic subscriber connectivity and is included for basic information.

The present invention will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which illustrative embodiments of the invention are shown. In the drawings, the relative sizes of the zones or features can be exaggerated for clarity. This invention can, however, be carried out in numerous different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein but rather these embodiments are disclosed so that the invention is more evident and complete and to fully support the Scope of the invention for experts in this field.

Some embodiments of the present invention utilize a multilayer folding tray method to support various functions, such as storage of gaps, connection splices to outer plant cable splices (OSP) and angular front connections. A termination module, according to said embodiments, can be designed in a modular form, so that it can be used separately on a small pedestal or in a pendant form together with other termination modules in a pole-mounted cabinet or stand (i.e. mass). The termination modules can also be pre-terminated for the subscriber placement optical fibers before being mounted in an interconnection cabinet. The termination modules, in some embodiments, can also be removed from the cabinet and moved to a distant location, such as a splicing vehicle, in order to facilitate initial installation.

The termination modules, in some embodiments, include splice trays that can be oriented so that they can be operated remotely or in the cabinet when a repair situation arises. In some embodiments, the entire connection field pivots downward and / or laterally, allowing access to both sides of the connector for cleaning purposes, while potentially reducing or preventing normal disruption of the disconnection of existing subscribers to gain access. Cleaning both sides of an optical connector can be beneficial, particularly when using connectors in OSP. A detachable cable safety element is incorporated in some embodiments of the termination module of the present invention, which may allow cable fixing as well as the central reinforcement element.

in both open and closed positions of the termination module, without causing undue deformation in the cable from a change in the orientation of the termination module during installation or similar operations.

The cable security element of some embodiments of the present invention needs only

5 separate from the termination module during closing (when the termination panel moves from an open position to a closed position). The relative position of the cable safety element to the splice trays can remain virtually unchanged during closing (or opening).

A matrix structure of the separator module (one or more separators) can be incrementally constructed in a

10 cabinet by adding a pre-connectorized separator module at a certain time, in some embodiments of the present invention. The separator module may, for example, be splice / separator trays that are coupled to a hanging bracket for mounting purposes. However, alternative embodiments may use a separator box that is loaded into a frame or some other support element. Labels on the leading edge of the separator module can be included to indicate the subscribers assigned to that separator.

15 Labels on the front of the separator module could also be included to indicate test data and / or relevant manufacturing information.

In some embodiments of the present invention, a prolonged random storage of the connectorized connecting hoses leaving the separators may incorporate the use of coils of the crescent type, which

20 can provide bending control as well as incremental strike compensation. The coils can be, for example, uniformly spaced, so that each coil is assigned to specific fields of the connection panel, which can simplify the arrangement of the connection hoses.

In several embodiments of the present invention, only a front access may be necessary to work

25 inside the closet. The management and organization of general fibers can pose a problem with existing closet designs. Some embodiments of the present invention can overcome these drawbacks by regrouping the various functions (splices, connections, separations) in a way that can be counter-intuitive for standard practices. This regrouping of functions can increase, by an important magnitude, productivity, ease of use and / or the possibility of maintaining fiber management in interconnection cabinets,

30 according to some embodiments of the present invention.

For some embodiments of the present invention, as will be described later with reference to the figures, the displacement of the connection point of the partition wall, from the separator to a connection panel, can allow access to both sides of the point connection for cleaning purposes. In addition, for some embodiments of the present invention, a small number of loose / unfinished connection hoses may need to be managed during routine maintenance and reconfiguration. Embodiments of the present invention may disclose 216 or more connecting hoses hanging in beams and that number can be reduced, incrementally, as subscribers are added to the network. Some embodiments of the present invention can reduce this congestion to a maximum of 15 fibers for 1 x 16 separators or 31 fibers for

40 1 x 32 separators. This smaller number can be reduced as subscribers are added until there are none left and a new separator is added. Unused connection hoses can be stored on the side of the segregated cabinet of the active fibers. The design of the connection panel can allow subscribers to identify quickly, unlike other known methods that require the support to be probed using beams of connection hoses in search of a specific client that has subscribed to the network and needs connection .

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the various embodiments, illustrated in Figures 1-10. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an interconnect cabinet 100 for optical fibers according to some embodiments of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the interconnection cabinet 100 is used to connect subscriber cables 105 with the cables of the

50 exterior plant of the central office (OSP) 110 in order to manage the connectivity of subscriber sites to the central office. The interconnection cabinet 100 comprises splice modules 115a, 115b, a termination module 130 having a front face that provides a connection panel, a separator module 140 and connecting hoses, connectorized 150a, 150b.

55 It will be understood by those skilled in the art that splice modules 115a, 115b can be used to connect optical fibers from cables 105, 110, to a rear side of the optical fiber connection points (connection elements) 120a, 120b Although two splice modules 115a, 115b are illustrated in Figure 1, more splice modules may be used depending on the number of fibers to be routed through the interconnect cabinet 100. In addition, although a separate splice module 115b is illustrated for use with the office cable

60 central 110, in various embodiments of the present invention, a common splice module can be used for the subscriber cable fibers 105 and the central office 110. Although the splice modules for making said interconnections provide advantages in routing and control of the radius of curvature and similar elements of optical fibers, it will be understood that the present invention, in some embodiments, encompasses other interconnection methods between the cables of the central office and the subscriber 105, 110 and the fiber connection points 120th and

65 120b.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the separator module 140 has a connectorized connection hose 150a that extends to a fiber connection point 120b for coupling, by optical means, to a fiber from the office. The fiber from the central office is connected by the separator module 140 to the plurality of connectorized connecting hoses 150b. Thus, each of the connectorized connecting hoses 150b are associated with a fiber optic feeder cable 110 coupled to a central office, which is usually through an individual fiber. The separator module 140 can be a separator module of type 4 to 1, 16 to 1, 32 to 1 or the like, depending on the desired number of subscribers to be supported by a single fiber fed to the central office.

As illustrated in the embodiments of Figure 1, some of the fibers from the subscriber cable 105 associated with different subscriber locations are each coupled to the respective fiber connection points 120b on the front face of the connection panel of the termination module 130. The connectorized connection hoses 150b have a sufficient cable length to allow the connection of each of the connection hoses 150b to the plurality of connection points 120b. Accordingly, service to an individual subscriber site can easily be provided or terminated by coupling or uncoupling one of the connectorized connecting hoses 150b from one of the fiber connection points 120b associated with that subscriber. Therefore, by providing an easily determined location on the front connection panel of the termination module 130 associated with each specific subscriber, the task of making a connection for resident technician may be simplified, which could, if not, have difficulty locating a connection hose 150b associated with a specific subscriber.

For the embodiments illustrated in Figure 1, the fiber fed to the central office from the cables of the central office 110, such as the fiber fed from the subscriber cables 105 is coupled through a splice module 115b to a point interconnection 120b on the front face of the termination module connection panel

130. Although illustrated as separate connection points 120a, 120b in Figure 1, it will be understood that any of the connection points 120b could be used, analogously, to provide interconnection to central office cables 110. It will be understood furthermore, that in some embodiments of the present invention the optical fiber input to the separator module 140 is spliced to a fiber in the cables of the central office 110 directly without the use of the termination module 130 and the connectorized connecting hose 150th For example, the optical fiber input to the separator module 140 could be coupled to a fiber from the cables of the central office in the splice module 115b.

The present invention will now be further described with reference to the embodiments of an interconnection cabinet 200 for optical fibers as illustrated in Figure 2. As can be seen in Figure 2, interconnection cabinet 200 includes an enclosure. 202 having an upper chamber 210 and a lower chamber 205. The enclosure 202 may be a double-walled housing configured to provide passive cooling for cabinet 200. The subscriber and central office cables 105, 110 are received at the lower chamber 205, which is protected by a front cover panel 207. The cables 105, 110 fed through a lower panel 252 located between the upper chamber 210 and the lower chamber 205 through insulating washers 254. In this way , for example, in the embodiments depicted in Figure 2, the upper chamber 210 may be provided with a cleaner or more environmentally controlled environment than the lower chamber 205. However, it will be understood that various embodiments of the present invention can provide a direct routing of the cables 105 and 110 in the upper chamber 210 of a single chamber enclosure that does not have a separate lower chamber.

As illustrated in the embodiments of Figure 2, a termination module 230, a plurality of spacer modules 240 having connectorized connecting hoses 250 and a plurality of coils 270, 272 are located in the upper chamber 210 of the housing 202. The termination module 230 is detachably mounted on a rear wall 212 of the upper chamber 210. The separator modules 240 are detachably mounted to the rear wall 212 by means of brackets 242.

Termination module 230 includes a termination connection panel 232 on its front face that includes a plurality of fiber optic connection points (elements) 220. Connection elements 220 include female connectors 221 configured to receive the male connectors of the connection hoses 250. As also illustrated in the embodiments of Figure 2, the termination connection panel 232 can be modified depending on the number of optical fibers to be connected by adding additional rows of connection elements 220 in zones 222 Three brackets 234 are shown in the termination module 230 that can be used to rest on a table or other flat surface when the connection panel 232 is rotated open to allow access to a rear side of the connection element 220.

The arrangement illustrated in Figure 2 may allow front panel access for the various connectivity components for the provision of connections to subscriber sites. As indicated in Figure 2, access from the front side to the cabinet 200 is provided by opening the revolving door panels 260 defining the front panel of the interconnecting cabinet 200. However, a single panel door, a panel separable or similar elements could also be provided to allow access from the front side to the chamber 210.

The winding system 270, 272 can be used to support the routing of the connecting hoses 250 in a way that the bending of the connecting hoses 250 can be advantageously controlled to reduce the risk of

damage to the optical fiber and also provide organization for routing of the connection hoses 250, in particular where a fully loaded interconnect cabinet 200 can include a greater number of said connection hoses 250. The winding system 270, 272 is mounted in the enclosure 202 and configured to receive and store lenghts of leftover cables from the connectorized connecting hoses 250. The coils 270, in some embodiments of the present invention, are displaced from each other in the enclosure by a corresponding distance at the distance between a first and last rows of the connection points 220 in the termination connection panel 232. In other words, as can be seen in Figure 2, a distance from a lower part to an upper part of the coils 270 may correspond to a distance from a lower part to an upper part of the interconnection elements 22 0.

As also illustrated in Figure 2, the winding system 270, 272 may include an initial loop coil 272 configured to receive all the connectorized connection hoses 250 and provide said connection hoses to a common entry point to the coils 270 Thus, all of the connection hoses 250 can be routed first below the initial loop coil 272 and then on a coil selected between the coils 270 depending on the relative distance from the bottom panel 252 of an associated row of the connection elements 220 to which the connection hose 250 is to be routed. The coils, of the crescent type, illustrated in Figure 2, can have a radius selected to provide the desired protection against damage due to the bending of the fibers in the connection hoses 250. The connectorized connection hoses 250 in some embodiments of the present invention are n provided with substantially the same length. The use of selected coils 272 in the routing can provide the use of more or less unused length of said connection hoses 250 depending on which row of connection element the connection hose 250 for termination panel 232 is routed.

A plurality of separator modules 240 and a single termination module 230 are illustrated in Figure 2. However, as noted by the space between separators 240 and termination module 230, a plurality of termination module 230 can be mounted. , selectively, in enclosure 202 in some embodiments of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a front perspective view illustrating, in addition, some embodiments of the present invention. In particular, Figure 3 illustrates the interconnection cabinet of Figure 2 with only one separator module installed 240 and a second separator module 240 in the ongoing installation process. For the embodiments in Figure 3, the separator modules 240 are separator trays that have suspension brackets 344 incorporated. The suspension brackets 344 are coupled with the brackets 242 for mounting the separating trays 240 in the interconnection cabinet 200. A hook 305 is also illustrated in the embodiments of Figure 3 on a side wall of the enclosure 202 which is it can be used to hang unused connection hoses 250. The hook 305, in some embodiments of the present invention, can be a coil, such as a semi-moon type coil.

Some embodiments of the present invention provide routing of jumper cables to provide a cross connection between two of the interconnection elements 220, as opposed to routing connection hoses 250 from the separator modules 240. In said embodiments, the hook or the midpoint coil 305 can be used and placed at a location above the coils 270 to facilitate the routing of the jumper cables. For example, the hook or the midpoint coil 305 could be positioned to provide a round trip point at the midpoint of the length of the bridge cable.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a termination module 430 according to some embodiments of the present invention with a termination panel 430a (whose front face defines a connection panel) in an open position. The termination panel 430a can be moved to the open position illustrated by rotation around a pivot point 476 in order to allow access from the front of the interconnection cabinet 400 to a rear side 420 'of the mounted interconnection elements 220 in connection panel 432 of termination panel 430a. As in the case of the interconnection elements of the front side 220 having female connectors 221 (see Figure 2), the interconnection points of the rear side 420 'in the embodiments shown in Figure 4 include female connectors 421 configured to receive connectorized connection hoses 480 extending from a splice module 115a, 115b coupled to the subscriber cables and / or the central office 105, 110.

The connecting hose 480 can be extended from a junction chamber 430b by routing, for example, through a protective conduit 472b or a hardened cable 472b. The cables 472a, 472b can be extended from splice modules 115a, 115b mounted in the splice chamber 430 through an optical fiber gap receiving area 474 of the splice chamber 430b. The junction chamber 430b can also be pivotally mounted such that access to the junction area from the front side of the interconnect cabinet 400 is provided by rotating the junction chamber 430b around a pivot point 478 .

A mounting element 430c of termination module 430b can support pivot points 476, 478 and provide for mounting termination module 430 in interconnect cabinet 400.

Also visible in Figure 4 are the rear side 410 of the connection panel 432, the supports 434 and the coils of the crescent type 470, 472. The arrangements of the coils 470, 472 differ from those described with reference to the coils 270, 272 of Figure 2 in that the lower initial loop coil 472 is aligned with the plurality of coils 470 instead of being displaced to the left side of the cabinet 200 as illustrated in Figure 2.

5 Figure 5 is a front perspective view of an interconnection cabinet 500 for optical fibers according to some embodiments of the present invention showing the installation of a termination module 530 in the cabinet

500. As seen in Figure 5, the termination module 530 can be manually removed with the cables 105, 110 connected by passing the remaining length of the cables 105, 110 through the insulating washers 254.

10 Said leftover cable length can be stored in the lower chamber of the cabinet 500 or can be removed from the outside of the cabinet 500 at a time when a technician removes the termination module 530 from the cabinet

500

As can be seen in the embodiments of Figure 5, the termination module 530 includes a panel of

15 terminations 530a, a junction chamber 530b and a mounting element 530c. The respective elements 530a, 530b, 530c can operate essentially the same as described in Figure 4 with reference to similar numbered elements (430a, 430b, 430c).

Additional embodiments of the termination module, according to the present invention, will now be described with

20 reference to Figures 6a, 6b and 6c. Figure 6a is a perspective view of the termination module 630 in a closed position. Figure 6b is a perspective view of the termination module 630 of Figure 6a in a first open position showing a splice chamber 630b and trays 615. Figure 6c is a perspective view of the termination module 630 of Figure 6a in a second open position showing the rear side of a termination panel 630a. Termination module 630 includes termination panel 630a, a camera

25 joints 630b and a mounting element 630c. The termination panel 630a and the splice chamber 630b are each rotatably mounted on the mounting element 630c. A plurality of supports 634 are located in the termination panel 630a in order to provide means for supporting the termination module 630 on a table or other flat surface in the open position orientation of Figure 6b or Figure 6c to facilitate work on splices and similar operations by a technician who sets the termination module 630 while reducing the

30 risk of damage to interconnection elements 620.

A mobile cable fixing element 682 is configured to receive, fix and / or provide a strain relief element for a fiber optic cable 105, 110. The mobile cable fixing element 682 is illustrated in a first position aligned with a closed position of the termination panel 630a and a splice chamber 630b in the

Figure 6a and a second position aligned with an open position of the termination panel 630a and a splice chamber 630b in Figure 6b. The mobile cable fixing element 632 in Figures 6a, 6b and 6c is mounted so that it is aligned with the splice chamber 630 and the splice modules 615 in each position to reduce the risk of damage due to cable bending of optical fibers 105, 110.

Figure 6a illustrates an arrangement and orientation suitable for use when installed in an interconnection cabinet that allows access to the front side of the interconnection elements 620. Figure 6c illustrates that access to the back side 620 'of interconnection elements 620. On the contrary, Figure 6b illustrates a position suitable for use during the establishment of termination module 630 by a technician who provides fiber splices of cables 105, 110 using splice modules 615.

For the embodiments of the mobile cable fixing element 682 illustrated in Figure 6b, temporary supports 686 may be provided to hold the cable fixing element 682 in the second position aligned with the open junction chamber 630b. As illustrated in Figure 6b, a connecting element 688 is provided to be configured in order to receive and retain a reinforcing element of a fiber optic cable 105, 110. For the shape

50 illustrated, the connecting element 688 is a bolt, which can be coupled to a retaining element, such as a support bracket or clamp, located on an opposite face of the cable fixing element 682. In addition, it can be provided an additional support joining the outer jacket of the cable 105, 110 with a hose clamp, performing a twist or similar action with the retention tabs 684.

The cable fixing element illustrated 682 in Figure 6b includes two flat plate elements, each of which can be configured to receive two cables 105, 110. It is to be understood that other connecting elements can be provided using various devices of suitable fastening or fastening for securely gripping a reinforcing element of a cable and one or more of said connecting elements can be provided for use with each cable fixed by the cable fixing element 682.

60 As illustrated in Figure 6b and Figure 6c, the termination panel 630a and the splice chamber 630b are pivotally mounted to the mounting element 630c for independent pivoting movement. The mounting element 630c is configured for mounting in an interconnection cabinet 200, 300, 400, 500 using, for example, the mounting holes 631 illustrated in Figure 6b.

Before opening the termination module 630 from the position of Figure 6a to the position of Figure 6b, the cable fixing element 682 can be separated from the mounting element 630c. The termination panel 630a and the splice chamber 630b can then be pivoted to the open position of Figure 6b and the cable fixing element 682 can be fixed in the position illustrated in Figure 6b using the supports 686. When the ends 686 are finished. operations related to splicing and the like, a technician can remove the cable fixing element 688 and the supports 686 and reconnect the cable fixing element 682 as illustrated in Figure 6c to maintain an orientation aligned with the camera of junctions 630b in the closed position of the junction chamber 630b relative to the mounting element 630c. In addition, Figure 6a shows the front side of the interconnection elements 620 accessible in the connection panel 632, while Figure 6c illustrates the access to the rear side 620 ’of the interconnection elements.

Figure 6b shows additional details of the splice chamber 630b. In particular, splice modules 615 are pivotally mounted with the respective angular mounting brackets 617 to provide access to elements other than the stacked plurality of splice modules 615. Before terminating the splicing of individual fibers within the splice modules 615, an excess length of the respective optical fiber can be provided for future use and / or modification in the area for receiving optical fiber strikes 674. The area for receiving optical fiber strikes 674, illustrated in Figure 6b, is located between the splice modules 615 and the termination panel 630a.

Figure 7a is a side view of a termination module 730 according to other embodiments of the present invention. Figure 7b is a front perspective view of the termination module 730 of Figure 7a. As shown in Figures 7a and 7b, the termination module 730 includes a termination panel 730a, a splice chamber 730b and a mounting element 730c. A zone for a plurality of interconnection elements 720 is provided on the connection panel 732 defined by the front face of the termination panel 730. None of the interconnection points are mounted on the connection panel 732 as illustrated in Figure 7b . However, as shown in Figure 7a, the connection panel 732 includes angular bands 796 configured to receive a plurality of interconnecting elements. The angular orientation, in the downward direction, illustrated for bands 796, can provide better security for the installer by reducing the risk of light being directly incident in the eyes of the installer and / or can provide a reduced infiltration of dirt and elements similar to interconnection members 720 due to gravity.

The arrangement for positioning of the interconnection elements 720 in Figure 7b differs from that described above with reference to Figure 6a mainly in the provision of a staggered alignment for rows of the interconnection elements 720. Such arrangement can provide better accessibility of the interconnection elements 720, since the cascading arrangement of the connecting hoses that are fed to the interconnection elements 720 can be less heavily superimposed on the rows of interconnection elements lower in the connection panel 732. The embodiments depicted in Figures 7a and 7b further illustrate angle mounting brackets 717 for use in pivot mount splice modules, such as optical splice trays, in a stacked relationship.

The embodiments represented in Figures 7a and 7b differ, in addition, from those described with reference to Figures 6a-6c in the particularities of the mobile cable fixing element 782. As illustrated in the side view of Figure 8, the cable fixing element 782 is capable of pivoting between a first position A, aligned by a closed position of the termination panel 730a and the junction chamber 730b and a second position B aligned with an open position of the termination panel 730a and of the splice chamber 730b. A connecting element 688 and the retaining flange 784 can be provided for fixing a respective fiber optic cable as described above with reference to similar numbering elements in Figures 6a-6c (684, 688). The cable fixing element 688 is pivotally connected to the termination module 730 at a pivot point 790 to allow the displacement between the first position A and the second position B. The cable fixing element 788 is configured, in some embodiments of the present invention, to pivot about a neutral axis having an arc length for a cable fixed in that position that is practically the same in the first position A and in the second position B to limit the load on the cable there fixed during the movement of the cable fixing element 788 between the first position A and the second position B. A track following the movement 792 is provided including a fixing element or bolt 794 to block the cable fixing element 782 in a desired position.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of an optical fiber separator / splice tray 940 having a plurality of connectorized connecting hoses 950 according to some embodiments of the present invention. As illustrated in Figure 9, a mounting bracket 944 is mounted at one end of the fiber optic separator / splice tray 940 and the connection hoses 950 extend from their opposite end. Male connectors 951 are provided at the ends of the connectorized connecting hoses 950. Figure 10 is a perspective view illustrating an optical separator module arrangement using a separator box 1040 having connectorized connecting hoses 1050 extending therefrom in instead of a fiber optic tray. The separator box 1040, such as the separator tray 940, can be held in place in an interconnection cabinet by, for example, tabs and / or a support.

Methods for the management of external plant of fiber optic connectivity of subscribers are included for basic information and will now be described with reference to the illustration of the flow chart of Figure 11. As depicted in Figure 11, operations begin in the block 1100 providing a termination panel in an interconnect cabinet for optical fibers that includes a plurality of fiber optic connection points (connection elements) and a separator in the cabinet that has a plurality of fiber optic connectorized connection hoses that extend from that position. Said arrangement of a termination panel, separator and cabinet was described above with reference to Figures 1 to 11. The connectorized connection hoses may have a sufficient cable length to allow connection to the plurality of connection points. The connectorized connecting hoses are optically spliced to a fiber optic feeder cable coupled to a central office 10 (block 1105). The plurality of fiber optic connection points (or connection elements) are optically spliced to receptive subscriber locations (block 1110). In some embodiments of the method according to the present invention, some of the connectorized connecting hoses are routed around reels selected from a plurality of fiber management coils based on a location of the connection points to which they are to be coupled. (block 1115). Some of said connection hoses are coupled, so

15, to the corresponding connection points to provide service to the selected locations of the subscribers (block 1120). Similarly, some of the connectorized connection hoses can be selectively decoupled from one of the connection points to terminate the service for a designated location of the subscribers.

20 The block diagram of Figure 1 and the flow chart of Figure 11 illustrate the architecture, functionality and operation of possible implementations of methods for the management of the external plant of subscriber optical fiber connectivity. It should be noted that, in some alternative embodiments, what was indicated in the blocks may occur in the order indicated in the Figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession can, in fact, be executed practically at the same time or the blocks can be executed in the reverse order, depending on the functionality

25 involved.

The above description is illustrative of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting. Although some exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that numerous modifications can be made to the exemplary embodiments without deviating, therefore, in an essential way, from the novelty teachings and The advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of protection of this invention, as defined in the claims. In the claims, the ‘medium plus function’ clauses are provided to cover the structures described herein as performing the aforementioned function and not only structural equivalents but also equivalent structures. Therefore, it should be understood that the foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and not

35 is to be construed as limiting the embodiments disclosed and that modifications to the disclosed embodiments, as well as other embodiments, are intended to be included within the scope of protection of the appended claims.

Claims (20)

1. An optical fiber termination module (430, 530, 630, 730) comprising: 5 a mounting element (430c, 530c, 630c, 730c) adapted to be mounted in an interconnection cabinet (400, 500) for optical fibers; a termination panel (430a, 530a, 630a, 730a) pivotally mounted on the mounting element (430c, 530c, 630c, 730c) to allow access to a rear side of the termination panel (430a, 530a, 630a, 730a) covered by the mounting element (430c, 530c, 630c, 730c); a splice chamber (430b, 530b, 630b, 730b) mounted on the mounting element (430c, 530c, 630c, 730c) in the vicinity of a rear side of the termination panel (430a, 530a, 630a, 730a), being the splice chamber (430b, 530b, 630b, 730b) configured to receive at least one splice module (615) and 15 a plurality of optical fiber connection elements (620, 720) mounted on the termination panel (430a, 530a, 630a, 730a); characterized in that the splice chamber (430b, 530b, 630b, 730b) is pivotally mounted on said mounting element (430c, 530c, 630c, 730c) for a separate pivoting movement of the termination panel (430a, 530a , 630a, 730a). 2. The termination module (430, 530, 630, 730) according to claim 1, wherein the connection elements (620, 720) include a front female connector configured to receive a matching fiber optic male connector and a 25 rear female connector configured to receive a matching optical fiber male connector to provide an optical coupling between the matching optical fiber male connectors received there. 3. The termination module (430, 530, 630, 730) according to claim 1, wherein a front side of the junction chamber (430b, 530b, 630b, 730b) is located in front of the termination panel (430a, 530a , 630a, 730a) and the at least one splice module (615) is received on an opposite rear side of the splice chamber (430b, 530b, 630b, 730b) and where the at least one splice module (615) It is accessible in an open position of the junction chamber (430b, 530b, 630b, 730b). 4. The termination module (430, 530, 630, 730) according to claim 3, wherein the at least one 35 splice module (615) comprises a splice tray.

5.

The termination module (430, 530, 630, 730) according to claim 3, further comprising a plurality of connectorized connecting hoses (480) extending from at least one splice module (615) to the elements of connection (620, 720) on a rear side of the termination panel (430a, 530a, 630a, 730a).

6.

The termination module (430, 530, 630, 730) according to claim 5, wherein the splice chamber (430b, 530b, 630b, 730b) further comprises an optical fiber strike reception area (474, 674 ) located between the at least one splice module (615) and the termination panel (430a, 530a, 630a, 730a).

The termination module (430, 530, 630, 730) according to claim 6, further comprising mounting means for detachably mounting the termination module in an optical fiber interconnection cabinet.

8.

The termination module (430, 530, 630, 730) according to claim 5, further comprising a mobile cable fixing element (682, 782) configured to receive and secure a fiber optic cable, the element having cable fixing (682, 782) a first position (A) aligned with a closed position of the splice chamber and a second position (B) aligned with an open position of the splice chamber (430b, 530b, 630b, 730b) .

9.

The termination module (430, 530, 630, 730), according to claim 8, wherein the cable fixing element

(682, 782) includes a joint element (688, 788) configured to receive and retain a reinforcing element of the fiber optic cable 55.

10.

The termination module (430, 530, 630, 730), according to claim 8, wherein the cable fixing element (682, 782) is detachable from the termination module (430, 530, 630, 730) to allow displacement between the first position (A) and the second position (B).

eleven.

The termination module (430, 530, 630, 730), according to claim 8, wherein the cable fixing element (682, 782) is pivotally connected to the termination module (430, 530, 630, 730) to allow displacement between the first position (A) and the second position (B).

The termination module (430, 530, 630, 730), according to claim 11, wherein the cable fixing element (682, 782) pivots around a neutral axis having an arc length for a cable fixed that is practically the same in the first position (A) and in the second position (B) to limit the loads on the cable fixed there during the movement of the cable fixing element (682, 782) between the first position (A) and the second position (B). 13. An interconnection cabinet (400, 500) for optical fibers, comprising: 5 an enclosure; a separator module (140, 240, 940, 1040) mounted in the enclosure and having a plurality of connectorized fiber optic connection hoses (150b, 250, 950, 1050) extending from that connection place and 10 an optical fiber termination module (430, 530, 630, 730) according to any one of claims 1 to 12; wherein each of the connectorized connecting hoses (150b, 250, 950, 1050) is associated with a fiber optic feeder cable intended to be coupled to a central office; 15 the fiber connection elements (620, 720) are associated with the respective subscriber locations and wherein the connectorized connection hoses (150b, 250, 950, 1050) have sufficient cable length to allow connection to the plurality of connection elements (620, 720). 14. The cabinet (400, 500) according to claim 13, wherein the enclosure is configured to receive a plurality of optical fiber termination modules (430, 530, 630, 730) and a plurality of splice chambers (430b, 530b, 630b, 730b). The cabinet (400, 500) according to claim 13, wherein the termination panel (430a, 530a, 630a, 730a), pivotally mounted, allows access to a front side and a rear side of the elements connection (620, 720) from a front side of the enclosure. 16. The cabinet (400, 500) according to claim 13, wherein the pivotal mounting junction chamber (430b, 30 530b, 630b, 730b) provides access to the junction chamber (430b, 530b, 630b, 730b) from the front side of the enclosure. 17. The cabinet (400, 500) according to claim 16, wherein the termination module (430, 530, 630, 730) is mounted, detachably, inside the enclosure to allow removal of the termination module (430, 530, 630, 730) 35 through the front side of the enclosure. 18. The cabinet (400, 500) according to claim 13, further comprising a winding system mounted in the enclosure and configured to receive and store excess cable length of the plurality of connectorized connecting hoses (150b, 250, 950, 1050). 19. The cabinet (400, 500) according to claim 18, wherein the winding system comprises a plurality of coils (470, 472), displaced from each other in the enclosure, at a distance corresponding to a distance between a first and last rows of connection elements (620, 720) on the termination panel (430a, 530a, 630a, 730a). The cabinet (400, 500) according to claim 19, wherein a distance between a first and a last coil is approximately half the distance between the first and last rows of connecting elements (620, 720) in the termination panel (430a, 530a, 630a, 730a). 21. The cabinet (400, 500) according to claim 20, wherein the winding system further comprises a coil 50 in initial loop configured to receive all the connectorized connection hoses (150b, 250, 950, 1050) and to provide the connectorized connection hoses (150b, 250, 950, 1050) with a common entry point to the winding system. 22. The cabinet (400, 500) according to claim 20, wherein the coils (470, 472) comprise coils in 55 crescents. 23. The cabinet (400, 500) according to any one of claims 13 to 22, wherein the plurality of connectorized connecting hoses (150b, 250, 950, 1050) are practically the same length. The cabinet (400, 500) according to claim 23, wherein the enclosure comprises a double wall housing configured to provide passive cooling. 25. The cabinet (400, 500) according to claim 13, wherein the termination module is mounted, so separable, in the enclosure to allow the removal of the termination module (430, 530, 630, 730) through the front side 65 of the enclosure. MODULE OF SUBSCRIBER CABLE SPLICE MODULE OF TERMINATION WITH PANEL CONNECTIONS MODULE MODULE OSP CENTRAL OFFICE SEPARATING PUMP Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 START PROVIDE PANEL TERMINATION OPTICAL EMPALMES LATIGUILLOS OF CABLE CONNECTION CENTRAL OFFICE OPTICAL EMPALMES POINT OF CONNECTION A PLACEMENTS OF SUBSCRIBERS ROUTE LATIGUILLOS OF CONNECTION AROUND THE COILS COUPLE SELECTIVELY POINTED LATIGUILLOS OF CONNECTION FINISH Figure 11